an instinctive philosopher and anchorite, who found his advantage in isolation — in remaining outside, in patience, procrastination, and lagging behind ; like a weighing and testing spirit who has already lost his way in every labyrinth of the future ; like a prophetic bird-spirit that looks backwards when it would announce what is to come; like the first perfect European Nihilist, who, however,has already outlived Nihilism in his own soul — who has out-grown, overcome, and dismissed it.
4.
For the reader must not misunderstand the meaning of the title which has been given to this Evangel of the Future. " The Will to Power : An Attempted Transvaluation of all Values" — with this formula a counter-movement finds expression, in regard to both a principle and a mission; a movement which in some remote future will supersede this perfect Nihilism ; but which nevertheless regards it as a necessary step, both logically and psychologically, towards its own advent, and which positively cannot come, except on top of and out of it. For, why is the triumph of Nihilism inevitable now? Because the very values current amongst us to-day will arrive at their logical conclusion in Nihilism, — because Nihilism is the only possible outcome of our greatest values and ideals, — because we must first experience Nihilism before we can realise what the actual worth of these " values " was. . . . Sooner or later we shall be in need of new values.
